1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character-string information output apparatus for outputting character string information in a command format. It also relates to a character-string information output system, a character-string information output method, a character-string information input apparatus, a character-string input system, a character-string information input method, a storage medium and a character-string information recording apparatus, for use with the character-string information output apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
For this type of image pick-up apparatus or electrophotographic image processing apparatus, a standard, called Digital Print Order Format (DPOF: a pending trademark), has recently been established. The use of a specific file (DPOF file) on a recording medium with images taken by a digital camera thereon allows a user to select an image to be printed at a lab or on a printer, or to specify the number of copies to be printed.
The contents of the specific file are interpreted at the lab or on the printer, so that the image taken by the digital camera and specified by the user can be printed as specified.
The specific file on the recording medium contains a command with a character string such as the useris name or address recorded therein. However, the current DPOF version 1.00 only supports ASCII codes as single-byte character strings or Shift—JIS codes as double-byte character strings.
The conventional DPOF is adaptable to languages represented by 26 letters of the alphabet like English and languages represented in Shift—JIS code like Japanese, but it is not adaptable to the other languages such as some European languages like German, Russian, Thai, Arabic and Greek.
Further, if a command with a character string in Shift—JIS code is processed in a Shift—JIS-incapable electrophotographic image processing apparatus, the resulting printout or display can carry unexpected symbols or characters.
The current DPOF version may be updated so that the command can be specialized in a universal character code, such as Unicode, different from the conventional character codes. In this case, however, electrophotographic image processing apparatuses adapted to old commands alone can also print out or display unexpected symbols or characters.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a character-string information output apparatus, a character-string information output system, a character-string information output method, a character-string information input apparatus, a character-string information input system, a character-string input method, a storage medium and a character-string information recording apparatus, all of which can avoid any confusion due to a difference between character-string commands, and improve their expandability.